Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language
- ISBN: 9780521525640
- Availability: Not available at the moment
- ALL 2,332
- Ex Tax: ALL 2,332
Author: Keith Allan and Kate Burridge
Year: 2006
Many words and expressions are viewed as 'taboo', such as those used to describe sex, our bodies and their functions, and those used to insult other people. This 2006 book provides a fascinating insight into taboo language and its role in everyday life. It looks at the ways we use language to be polite or impolite, politically correct or offensive, depending on whether we are 'sweet-talking', 'straight-talking' or being deliberately rude. Using a range of colourful examples, it shows how we use language playfully and figuratively in order to swear, to insult, and also to be politically correct, and what our motivations are for doing so.